by Michele Catahay, KUAM News Thursday, May 15, 2008 Subscribe to Michele's newsfeed   E-mail this article Printable version KUAM Toolbar Web Widgets Get RSS headlines

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With the selection of Giovanni "Bunny" Sgambelluri is now faced with a significant challenge - to turn the Guam Public School System around and on the road to progress. With 24 years of management experience in the private sector, along with a background in finance as the former director Bureau of Budget Management & Research, Sgambelluri believes he's the right man for the job.

Kennedy Tolenoa has two children attending M.U. Lujan Elementary School, and like most students in other schools, his children are left to suffer in facilities that just aren't making the grade. "Look at the schools' problems: no air-conditioning, and just the toilets and restrooms are not suited for our kids," he said. With financial issues plaguing GPSS, it's no wonder why the newly-selected superintendent wants to first develop a financial crisis management plan.

Sgambelluri says GPSS must pay its aged payables for contractors and vendors before it can actually begin making real progress, telling KUAM News, "If we can deal with these fires eventually, and if we put out enough fires, we can start managing." He says his second priority would be to fix island schools - many that have been shut down by the GPSS Health and Safety Task Force.

"In terms of facility, what really, really hurts me and pains me is that when I'm a leader and I'm watching the media reporting about a bathroom in one of my areas and I know nothing about it. There are over 80 individuals working in facilities and maintenance. It's just all direction, it's leadership and allocating people at the right places at the right time so you don't get these surprises," he said.

With much criticism from the Guam Education Policy Board on how GPSS is top heavy, Sgambelluri says a management audit may work if implemented and followed correctly. "When they say 'management audit' that means all-inclusive. Management audits are good if they're funded right and they're presented right and the expectations are communicated right," he commented. "What you're looking for is proficiency, efficiency and effectiveness. What you're trying to find is order and accountability. So I agree with that management audit."

The new superintendent promises to review the controversial Direct Instruction program to see if it's truly working for the students. He said of this subject of much debate, "In the world of first reading programs or service providers, there's a lot of other programs that aren't being introduced because we've been so transfixed on one. I'm not trying to say this is the end of the demise of Direct Instruction, because in order for you to come up with the solution, you have to come up with the problem. How have the 5th graders performed? Because the 5th graders (by all intents and purposes) have gone through DI for the last five years, so you have to look at the results and from there, I will make a decision."

Parents meanwhile like Tolenoa say they hope the appointment of a new superintendent will mean a step in the right direction with transparency and accountability. "Obviously, one of the things is transparency," he said. "We should really know what's going on within the Guam Public School System, because evidently a lot of questions surround the financial situation that have been ongoing previously and is still an issue. For me, when you say transparency, I believe in transparency. I mean, here I am talking to you initially and I haven't even signed my contract yet. So yes, I am transparent. You don't say 'cannot be contacted' or 'has not returned the calls' -that you won't get from my leadership."